2023-09-18 19:10:47
Ukraine said on Monday it had broken through the Russian defense line by retaking two villages near the devastated town of Bakhmut. In total, kyiv regained 7 km2 in one week.
Engaged since the beginning of June in a difficult counter-offensive facing Russian fortified lines, Ukrainian forces have increased their pressure over the past two weeks, retaking the village of Robot money in the south, then that ofAndriivka in the East. Sunday, it is the neighboring locality of Klichtchiïvka which fell following months of fighting. These villages, which had only a few hundred inhabitants before the war for the most populous of them, were destroyed during the clashes.
With these advances, “The enemy’s defense line has been breached”, said the commander of the kyiv ground troops, General Oleksandr Syrsky. These localities were “important” for the Russian defense line around Bakhmout, he added, specifying that three Russian brigades had been “destroyed”.
Counter-offensive towards Verbové
The situation in the area remains “complicated” and “fierce fighting near Bakhmut continues,” admitted General Syrsky. This town, which had 70,000 inhabitants before the war, was taken by Russian troops last May, following ten months of fighting which largely destroyed the town.
In total, according to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar, Kiev soldiers have seized over the past weekand 2 km2 near Bakhmout and of more than 5 km2 in the south, where their efforts are now turning towards the village of Verbové. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “proud” of “each of our heroes on the front line”.
Berlin announces 400 million euros in aid
Germany announced this Monday a new package of essentially military aid for an amount of 400 million euros. Berlin will notably deliver different types of ammunition, armored vehicles and mine clearance systems, as well as generators in preparation for the winter, announced German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
“The government has not yet decided whether it will send Taurus cruise missiles“, added the minister, referring to the need to “clarify a multitude of political, legal, military and technical aspects“. Berlin wants in particular to study the possibility of using this equipment without the support of the Bundeswehr, and to ensure that it cannot be used to directly attack Russian territory.
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